Big Leaguers Notebook: June 20

Royals, Cardinals team up for tornado relief efforts

 The I-70 rivals Royals and Cardinals partnered up for tornado relief with "Teams Unite for Joplin" during their weekend Interleague series. Players from both teams wore commemorative patches honoring Joplin, Mo., encouraged fans to lend financial support and wore Joplin High School baseball caps as they welcomed Joplin High baseball players on the field (MLB.com). The tornado relief efforts "meant a lot" to the Royals' Billy Butler, Jeff Francoeur and Eric Hosmer, and the Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday, who all spent time playing and living with families in Joplin as members of the USA Baseball team. The initiative was also especially meaningful to Kyle McClellan, who traveled to the town with teammates David Freese and Adam Wainwright earlier this month to assist in relief efforts. Said McClellan, "Anything that we can do as a club to not only raise money, but raise awareness that people are still hurting down there and that's it's going to be a long time before they get back. The financial side is nice, but also I think we raised a lot of awareness that the people down there still need more help." (MLB.com)

 With his debut pitch for the Yankees on Thursday, Brian Gordon pulled off a unique feat that no one else in baseball's history had ever done. By bucking the leather tradition and using a black creation with red stitching from Cooperstown, NY's Carpenter Trade Company, Gordon is believed to have become the first Major League baseball player to wear a baseball glove made entirely of synthetic material. "At first I really didn't know what to think about it," said Gordon of his unconventional glove choice. "It's very different looking and not the traditional look. But I asked more and more questions about and it just made sense to me. I think a glove is a tool, a tool we use every day, and it may as well fit for us." (AP)

 Cardinals pitcher Trever Miller remains focused on the mound, but his daughter, Grace, is never far from his thoughts as she defies the odds against a rare chromosomal disorder. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

 Fans often dream of the chance to meet their big league idols, but it was Mets relief pitcher Bobby Parnell who was excited for his chance to meet a hero. Parnell hosted Peter Demontreux, a heroic Staten Island firefighter with multiple James Gordon Bennett medals for valor, and his family for a tour at Citi Field on Sunday. "I feel like I grew up in the firehouse," said Parnell, who volunteered in high school with the Salisbury, N.C., fire company where his father is fire chief. "Firemen are the true unsung heroes. Firefighters are special. They have nerves of steel. They go into burning buildings to save people. They expect to do that and they want to do that. The world is better for guys like this." (New York Daily News)

 For Major League dads like Rod Barajas, the toughest part of playing ball for a living is missing the holidays, special occasions and defining moments in their children's lives. "It's tough, especially when they're little and starting to do new things," said the Dodgers catcher and father of six. "When they're starting to talk, starting to walk, the first day of school -- you miss a lot of those. I think last year was the first time I was able to take them for the first day of school." This year, a June 19 home game finally gave Barajas an extra special Father's Day treat -- the chance to join his family for a backyard barbeque. (FOX Sports West)

 Rockies closer Huston Street followed in his father's star Texas Longhorns footsteps and said he looks up "in every way possible" to the man who taught him about competition, humility and how to play baseball like a winner. (Denver Post)

Tweet of the Day: "Ever find a really comfy chair/sofa @ a Saks 5th & just sit there for like an hour while talking to friends?...Uh, me neither. #Pittsburgh" -- Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie (@JGuthrie46)

Quote of the Day: "The fans were incredible. I know that this is my first three months with the team, but the fans really showed me how much they cared and how they respected what I just accomplished. It's really a dream come true for me. There's nothing like being a Floridian so close to home, and playing for the team that I'm going to be rooting for, for a very, very long time when my playing career is over. It's awesome." -- Rays designated hitter Johnny Damon (MLB.com). Damon doubled to left field on Saturday to collect his 500th career double and become just the 11th player in Major League history to compile 500 doubles, 100 triples, 200 home runs and 2,500 hits over his career. (MLB.com)

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.